Rail-fastener.



A. H. GEE.

RAIL FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.I9. [918.

1,283,726. Patented Nov. 5,1918.

WITNESSES ALEXANDER H. GEE, 0F PILOT POINT, TEXAS.

RAIL-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented? NOV. 5, 1918.

Application filed March 19, 1918. Serial N 0. 223,360.

'To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER H. GEE, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Pilot Point, in the county of Denton and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Rail-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail fasteners and more particularly to that class in which the use of the ordinary spikes is eliminated.

The object is to provide asimple device for this purpose which is capable of securely holding rails of different sizes, and which will effectually prevent their lateral displacement when once the means for clamping the rails have been properly tightened.

Another object is to provide a rail fastener which may be used in conjunction with the ordinary wooden tie, orwith cement or metal ties, and to provide means for shielding the necessary bolt holes for the reception of clamping bolts, as to exclude water or moisture therefrom, and, in the use of woodenties, thus preventing rotting of the tie; and the invention further contemplates means for preventing the accidental loosening of the clamping means through the jars and shocks incident to railroad" travel.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed descript on taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification;

it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departurefrom the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a rail, held in position upon a tie by the improved rail fastener, the latter and the tie being shown partly in elevation and partly in section, and the left hand nut being shown in loosened position and the retaining pin omitted.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

said bolts to traverse the same.

Ordinarily rails are fastened to wooden ties by driving spikesinto the tie, close to the fiangeof therail, as is wellknown, the spikes being out of alinement with each other, or staggered to prevent splitting of the said tie, but this method, though commonly employed,has.three principal defects OIY-ObjQCtlOIlS. The tieis often split notwithstanding the said staggered disposition of the spikes, and water soon penetrates the wood into theholes formed by the spikes when theyv are driven in, thus causing the tie to rot and to become useless and requiring frequent replacement, and the splkes soon cient thickness to, withstand the strain of supporting the rail. and prevent the same. from wearing away the wooden tie. The

tie-plate l is somewhat less in width than the width ofthe tie and is considerably greater. in length than the width of the railfiange 3, so that ample space is provided for mounting, upon the terminal portions of said tie-plate, certain fastening means about to be described. j

Adjacent to diagonally opposite corners, the tie-plate is provided with suitable apertures for, the reception of vertically disposed fastening bolts 55, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the tie being correspondingly bored, as at 66, to permit; the The bolts 55 are provided with square heads 77, fitting in corresponding sockets 88 formed in the under side of the tie, to prevent the bolts from turning, when applying the binding nuts 9-9, at the upper threaded ends thereof.

Fastening clips 1010 are mounted upon the exposed ends of the tie-plate 4, and are providedwith suitable perforations 11l1 for the reception of the bolts 55, which thus locate the said clips in staggered relation to each other and upon opposite sides of the rail 2.

The fastening clips 1010 are each provided with angularly bent, inclined inner portions l212 overhanging the flange 3 upon each side of the rail and extending to a point adjacent to the web thereof. The inner portions of the clips are bent at substantially the same inclination as the upper face of the rail-flange and are adapted to be securely clamped down thereupon, when the nuts 9 are tightened, so as to prevent any lateral movement of the rail.

The perforations 1111, formed in the clips, are located adjacent to the angles of their bends, and the bolt holes in the tieplate 4 are spaced away from the edges of the rail-flange 3 a considerable distance, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, so that ample space is provided between the bolts 5-5, for the introduction of various sizes of rails and it will be seen that the inner portions 12-12 of the clips will effectually clamp the same, when the nuts are tightened.

The nuts 99 have their lower corners cut away,as indicated at 13 13, so as to avoid binding against the inclined inner portions of the clips and. prevent the turning of the nuts to tighten the same.

In order to secure the nuts in their set positions, vertical pins lets-1a are adapted to enter through suitable apertures 15 and 16, respectively, formed in the clips and tie plate and registering with a socket or bore 17 provided in the tie 1.

The socket or bore 17 is somewhat smaller in diameter than the pins 1%, so that the lat ter, which may pass freely through the registering perforations 15 and 16, formed in the clips and tie-plate, will of necessity, have to be driven into the said bore 17, when the same will be effectually held in position therein.

The pins 1 1 are each provided with a rectangular head 18, adapted to lie, when the pin is in position, against the adjacent face of the nut 9 and prevent the accidental turning of the same upon the threaded upper end of the bolt Likewise the pin 1% is prevented from any turning movei'nent within its respective bore 17, owing to its abutting relation to the nut 9.

The opposite lower edges of the rectangular head 18 of each pin 14 are cut away or beveled, as at 19, in order that an ordinary claw bar may be introduced thereunder and the pin pried from its seat in the tie. It will be noted that the clips 1010 are held in place by the combined holding force of the bolts and nuts and the pins.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an extremely simple, cheap and durable rail fastening device has been provided, which is capable of use in connection with any of the kinds of ties now in use for the proper support of difi'erent sizes of rails, that the same has few parts to become worn or broken, and by reason of this fact, may be easily manipulated to apply and adjust the rails in perfect alinement, when laying the same, and may be as easily released to change or replace the same.

hat is claimed is In combination with a railroad tie and rail, a tie-plate having spaced pairs of perforations arranged diagonally opposite each other, fastening clips adapted to rest upon the tie-plate at opposite sides of the rail and having spaced pairs of perforations in registering relation with the first named perforations, the inner opposed ends of the clips being bent upwardly to rest upon and engage the top surface of the rail flanges, vertical bolts traversing the inner perforations and the tie, with their threaded ends up, nuts adapted to the same and having engagement with the clips, and headed pins traversing the outer perforations and adapted to be driven into smaller bores formed in the tie, the said heads resting against the sides of the nuts to prevent their turning, and having their undersides beveled to be engaged by a claw bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER H. Witnesses J. A. L. MGFARLAND, J. l/VINsToN PEEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

